suspects
by dinopoodle
Summary: There is a mysterious prankster running around in Imladris, who is doing this and why? Reviewers are welcome to submit guesses.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to my betas and to Gaia caecilia for a few ideas. Any misspellings are my own mistake. I do not own lotr, and even if I did they would disown me after this. :)

Everything was set, no one would suspect who had created this havoc. However it was going to be fun to watch what happens. At that thought a small smile appeared on the face of the one who no one would suspect. _ This was indeed going to be fun_..

GgG

Glorfindel was beyond exhaustion, it had been a very busy few weeks training and teaching new patrols as well as filling in on a few patrols himself as needed. Now all he wanted was some rest, he sighed as he lay down in a proper bed for the first time in quite a while and felt himself start to drift off to sleep. That was until he noticed a strange color above his bed, he lit a candle and there on the ceiling above his bed was a bulldog painted as big as life. Startled by the seemingly sudden appearance of his enemy he found and drew his sword before he realized it was only a painting. Angry he stormed out of his quarters forgetting in his haste he was only wearing his night clothes.

He passed several elleths and ellons on his way but did not pause at the odd looks he was receiving or at the small smile one gave him. He paused only briefly as he knocked on the door to Elrond's rooms before storming in, and stopped suddenly for there was his friend Elrond peeling off his own night clothes at an alarming rate. "Elrond what is going on?" this behavior had Glorfindel so puzzled he stopped suddenly, forgetting his own anger, and not a small bit of fear that had come upon seeing what had been painted above his bed. "Someone has placed some type of itching powder in my clothes and on my bed sheets. I must stop this infernal itching ." Elrond said through clenched teeth as he started to wash in a basin of water. " I do not know what is going on here but I plan to find out as soon as this itching is stopped."

Suddenly the door to Elrond's room is again thrust open this time by one of his twin son's who looked as if he were very frightened, and very upset at the same time. "Ada, there is something wrong with Elrohir!" The twin was to shaken to even notice the state of his ada as Elrond scratching all the while doned a robe and hurried to his other sons room. It did not escape Glorfindel's notice that in the seat of the younger ellon's sleep pants there was a target sewn onto them. But this would have to wait as they hurried into the room to find Elrohir thrashing around in the middle of the room. He seemed to not see them as the trio came up to him. "My son, what is wrong?" "Get them off! " he shouted then he finally removed his tunic to show the onlookers that he was covered in the bits of ants that he had been frightened of as a small child. "Ada, get them off please." Elrohir was near tears now as Elond still scratching all the while tried to help calm him and remove the offending animals. Glorfindel went over to the bed and pulled back the covers to reveal ants swarming under the covers of the bed. "I have never understood your fear of these animals however some fears need no basis ." He was slightly amused to see Elrond trying to use the door jam as a scratching post as he followed his sons out of the room.

Later as the four gathered in Elrond's quarters while he spread cream upon the bites of his son and cleaned the powder off himself. Glorfindel related his tale and told Elladan to turn around so that the target on his backside was apparent to the others. "Ada, said the twins together we did not do these things we promise you." Elrond did not reply as he struggled with his own laughter at the target. " You would not harm your brother by using something you know he is afraid of, pranks yes but not that." Glorfindel stated to the young Ellon looking at Elrond with a raised eyebrow he said "But who would?" "I do not know but it seems we have a mystery on our hands and we must find." out stated Elrond.

CcC

Quietly creeping down the hall trying not to spill the laughter that was beneath the surface the culprit plotted another move.

AaA

If you have a guess as to who it is please send it either by p.m, or review. Thank you


	2. Close shave

Sorry it took so long for this chapter, but due to a death I had to deal in real life for a bit. Also still not mine, but I can wish...

OoO

Creeping silently down the halls was not a problem at this time of night. There were more victims now, due to the fact that several guests had shown up to hold counsel with Elrond. Among them were Prince Legolas form Mirkwood, and Gandalf. Everything was set into motion now. Softly closing the door, the culprit smiled. Now all left to do was wait.

EeE

Elrond stood on his balcony and watched as the morning birds bathed and played in the ponds that dotted the gardens below. He was quite content - everything was as it should be in his valley. Turning to walk back into his study, he decided he really did need to get some work done today. As of late there had been guests to see to, and he had let himself get quite behind in his work. He knew if he did not begin to catch up on some of it he would hear from Erestor. With a sigh, he began to work through the piles of paperwork on his desk. He was just beginning to pen a note for the border guards, when a sudden noise cut through the stillness of the morning.

Elrond arose and swiftly to see what all the noise was about, when all of the sudden what he saw stopped him cold . He was torn between laughter, and worry for whoever dared pull such a prank. For standing in the open doorway of his room, stood Gandalf. He was very upset, but it was hard to be coward by a wizard who only had half a beard, one eyebrow, and no hair on one side of his head. Gandalf it seemed had been the newest recipient of the mysterious culprit.

Gandalf turned his ire on his long time friend as soon as he saw him,

" This is how you now treat your guests?" He asked, raising the one eyebrow he had. That struck Elrond as quite funny, and, try as he might, he was unable to contain his laughter.

"No, my friend. Many of us have been treated to similar pranks of late. It seems as though someone thought this was funny. Perhaps you could be persuaded to see the humor for yourself?" Elrond asked, still laughing somewhat.

The wizard gave his friend a sour look and grumbled, "If I get my hands on whoever did this, they will beg for mercy." With that, the slightly lopsided looking wizard went back into his rooms.

As the door slammed behind him it shook the pictures on the walls, and Elrond turned to go back to his study to find a small audience grinning at him.

"Ada what was - Elrond cut his well-meaning daughter off with a smile.

"Never mind penneth, it s best to just leave him for now I think." With that he left the still-grinning Arwen, and went back to his paperwork. The next few hours passed quickly as he became engrossed in his duties as lord of Rivendell. His work had gone interrupted for quite a while, when suddenly a knock came on his door with some insistence. He called out for whoever it was to enter, and was puzzled to see his daughter s maid standing there.

"I think you should come to see Lady Arwen."

Elrond became alarmed as any father would. Standing, he made his way around his desk.

"What is the matter with her?" He asked as they walked swiftly down the hall.

"Not wrong sir, The maid began, Just not, well... quite right." The maid was either unhelpful or unwilling to tell him, which made him hurry all the more. When he entered her rooms he stopped suddenly, for she was walking on the banister to her balcony.

"Arwen, he called softly, not wanting to startle her, lest she fall. Arwen turned and wobbled, then jumped down from the banister.

"Hi Ada! she grinned lopsidedly. Want something to drink? She then stumbled over to pour him a cup of juice and handed it to him. He was only just able to avoid spilling it. Carefully he set the goblet down and took his daughter over to bed.

"How long has she been like this?" Elrond whispered to Arwen s maid.

"I do not know. I just came up to retrieve her lunch tray and found her like this." Elrond looked at his daughter closely, and noticed a few things amiss. They were simple things that one would not notice unless trained to. Her face was pale, her eyes were dilated and had a kind of blank look to them, She also, he noticed, was unsteady and swayed as she tried to rise from where she sat.

"Stay there Arwen, he commanded gently as he went to again pick up the goblet she had poured for him. He sniffed it and looked closely into the cup. What should have been orange juice was a darker color and had a sweet scent to it.

Going over to his daughter, he carefully took hold of her arm and guided her to stand and walk with him.

"Come along Arwen."

Where we going Ada? Are we going on a picnic? I want to go on a picnic, Ada."

Slowly he made his way down to his quarters just off of his study, having been followed by his sons as they saw him leading their sister down the hall.

"That will be all, thank you, he told the maid, and waited for her to leave before he seated his now reeling daughter on his bed. Making sure one of her brothers watched, he went into the other room.

"Ada what is wrong with her?" asked Elladan.

"She seems drugged. Or drunk, came Elrohir's response. Elrond could now hear his daughter singing a dwarfish drinking song.

Where in all of Arda did she learn that one? he wondered. As he came back into the room he simply said,

"She is drugged. I would have thought you would have noticed the symptoms, as the herb is commonly found growing wild, and is quite useful when given to a hard to treat patient. Especially for hard to treat elves." He gave his sons both a look, for he has had to use this on them both a time or two.

"But, but who would do such a thing to her!"

Both brothers were yelling now, which only sent Arwen into a fit of tears.

"There now, it s all right. Calmly Elrond sat next to his daughter and pulled her into a hug. Holding the steaming cup he had brought with him to her lips, he softly urged her to swallow.

"Drink now, and your brothers will go and prepare our picnic, okay?

"Can Gandy and Glorfy come?

Sure. We will get them right now." With that, both ellons exited the room. Sniffling, Arwen slowly drank what he brought her and swiftly fell into a deep sleep.

Elrond covered his daughter and walked out of the room. When he walked into his office, he did indeed see the aforementioned Gandy and Glorfy, along with Erestor and his sons, waiting for him.

"This has gone far enough!" Glorfindel was enraged.

Yes, harmless pranks are one thing, but this is quite another! said the still slightly less hairy wizard.

"Not one word from any of you either!." It seemed Gandalf was still not in a joking mood. But that was all right, for neither was Elrond.

"I want to know who is behind all of this now, before someone gets hurt," Elrond said. His eyes had turned to a stormy grey, and his voice was like the calm before a storm.

"Jokes are fine, but not when they put someone s life in jeopardy." He turned to Glorfindel. I want everyone interviewed; someone had to have seen something."

"Will she be okay, Elrond?" asked Erestor. "She will be fine; she will have a headache when she wakes and most likely not remember a thing. I will stay will her until she awakens.

Elrond turned to leave, but looked back at Erestor before exiting the door.

By the way, Elrond asked his friend, Why are your teeth blue?"

OoO

Things had not gone as planned, and the culprit knew it would be some time before things calmed down. For now, the plan was to find out how things went wrong and the wrong juices went to the wrong person. All of this was harder than first thought.


	3. the letter

Not mine, sorry for the wait.

OoO

Things where starting to become a bit harder. Perhaps some advice was needed after all this sceme was not on the whole his idea.

CcC

Celborn slowly opened the letter he had been given from Imladris not even trying to hide the it from his wife, after all it was she who had helped start this.

I regret to inform you that due to poor timing, I have almost been caught. Also, as you may know from your lady wife there have been some misshaps along the way. However I do believe the goal of lighting the mood that you both wanted for your family has been achieved. I repectfully request that more assistance is provided if this is to continue.

Respectfully,

Erestor.


End file.
